Posted on 09/09/2004 9:17:58 AM PDT by mingusthecat
UPDATE: Thanks to all the readers who have written regarding this post. Several have pointed out that the Executive line of IBM typewriters did have proportionally spaced fonts, although no reader has found the font used in the memos to be a familiar one or thought that the an IBM Executive was likely to have been used by the National Guard in the early 1970's. Reader Monty Walls has also cited the IBM Selectric Composer. However, reader Eric Courtney adds this wrinkle: The "Memo To File" of August 18, 1973 also used specialized typesetting characters not used on typewriters. These include the superscript "th" in 187th, and consistent (right single quote) used instead of a typewriter's generic ' (apostrophe). These are the sorts of things that typesetters did manually until the advent of smart correction in things like Microsoft Word. UPDATE 2: Reader John Risko adds: I was a clerk/typist for the US Navy at the Naval Underwater Systems Center (NUSC) in Newport RI for my summer job in 1971 when I was in college. I note the following with regard to the Killian memos:
1) Tom Mortensen is absolutely correct. Variable type was used only for special printing jobs, like official pamphlets. These documents are forgeries, and not even good ones. Someone could have at least found an old pre-Selectric IBM (introduced around 1962). Actually, I believe we were using IBM Model C's at the time, which was the precursor to the Selectric.
2) I also used a Variype machine in 1971. I fooled around with it in my spare time. It was incredibly difficult to set up and use. It was also extremely hard to correct mistakes on the machine. Most small letters used two spaces. Capital letters generally used three spaces. I think letters like "i" may have used one space. Anyway, you can see that this type of machine was piloted by an expert, and it would NEVER be used for a routine memo. A Lt. Colonel would not be able to identify a Varitype machine, let alone use it.
3) US Navy paper at the time was not 8 1/2 x 11. It was 8 x 10 1/2. I believe this was the same throughout the military, but someone will have to check on that. This should show up in the Xeroxing, which should have lines running along the sides of the Xerox copy.
4) I am amused by the way "147 th Ftr.Intrcp Gp." appears in the August 1, 1972 document. It may have been written that way in non-forged documents, but as somone who worked for ComCruDesLant, I know the military liked to bunch things together. I find "147 th" suspicious looking. 147th looks better to me, but the problem with Microsoft Word is that it keeps turning the "th" tiny if it is connected to a number like 147. And finally......
5) MORE DEFINITIVE PROOF OF FORGERY: I had neglected even to look at the August 18, 1973 memo to file. This forger was a fool. This fake document actually does have the tiny "th" in "187th" and there is simply no way this could have occurred in 1973. There are no keys on any typewriter in common use in 1973 which could produce a tiny "th." The forger got careless after creating the August 1, 1972 document and slipped up big-time.
In summary, the variable type reveals the Killian memos to be crude forgeries, the tiny "th" confirms it in the 8/18/73 memo, and I offer my other points as icing on the cake.
An ANG clinic would be opened. I got a physical on a weekend when I was in the USAF reserves.
the SECRET SERVICE should be handling this...
Ah well, back to indecision again.
Not necessarily. This calls for a subtle approach, daming words sound to pat, too likely to be false. You just need enough to buttress your main point.
daming = damning
Buddy B
I'm still trying to figure out what their point is, but then again, I've been engaged with all of this stuff more & longer than most people. LOL
They are trying to deflect everything outta the Swifies, by putting all of the sheeple on topic overload. To casual voter, they both did it, the issue is taken off the table. The follow up has to be to fill the hole, what makes my guy better than the other guy? They do not have anything to fill this hole with, nadda.
I think we've moved from the Selectives to the Executives.
Wouldn't other documents from Killian's file that were drafted at the time clear this whole thing up.
And your point is?
You don't tug on Superman's cape.......
We need a new 527. Bloggers for Truth.
If Limbaugh, Hannity and Savage disseminate this smoking gun to the public, the Left will be so screwed.
Yeah, but Mineral Man seems to want to poo poo everything. I don't trust Rather and SeeBS to do the right, ethical thing. Putting fake documents in a dead man's file is well within their skill set.
I don't believe these are real. I believe they're forged, for a large number of reasons, including the ones you cited. Even stipuling he was putting a 'CYA' on paper, he wouldn't change the ball on the typewriter in order to get superscripted 'th'. However, I believe they were forged on an IBM Executive typewriter or similar, not a word processor. We've still got a couple of these around here.
As I said elsewhere, it's a question of whether they are obvious forgeries, or ludicrously amateurish obvious forgeries. But if you let them demonstrate they're typewritten, and you've based your entire case on the premise they' re word-processed, then they can claim you're discredited.
Yes, "NLT" would be sufficient or the acronym typed out without explanation.
The preponderance of evidence is growing.
Nice catch. Ashamed I didn't find it myself.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.